Discussions By Condition: I cannot get a diagnosis.

Strong pain in upper right abdomen

For over 10 years...more like 12 or 13 years, I have had this strange pain under the ribs on the right side. It is VERY localized, and as many times as I've experienced this it is always in the exact same location. When I first started with this, it only hit me in the middle of the night. I'd wake up in intense pain which would slowly grow stronger, level off, then subside slowly. It would last a total of anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the pain...I'd have it once a month, then once in six months, then three times a week. But I have never gone more than 6 months over the last few years without an attack.

After a few years, it started hitting me during the day. The weird thing...and please don't think I'm some nut job...is that I could tell when it was about to hit because the molar in my upper jaw next to the back on the right side would start to hurt. When that happened, I knew that within 5-10 minutes I'd be doubled over in pain. Again, I didn't seem to have a particular trigger...no particular food seemed to bring it on, as I started keeping track. I never had any other symptom...no nausea, diarrhea, fever...just intense pain. After getting married, my wife never understood what I was going through until it hit me one night at home while watching TV. I moaned and grimiced with pain and she said it looked as though I was giving birth. She then understood the intensity of my pain.

Over the years, the duration of the pain has become somewhat shorter. Now, it only lasts 5-10 minutes, but now I can have back to back episodes...sometimes 3 or 4 attacks in one 2 hour period. And my tooth doesn't hurt to give me warning anymore either. (I know...that's just weird).

I've seen doctor after doctor. I've had an ultrasound of my gall bladder and all was well with it. No one has effectively diagnosed me. However, one doctor said it was migraine in my chest cavity, which is supposedly possible. I've been taking migraine meds at the onset of my attacks, but since they now last only a few minutes, the pain subsides before the meds can get into my system. I don't think a migraine of any sort would last only 5 to 10 minutes anyway.

So, there's my story. I just had another strong episode last night, having 3 or 4 attacks back to back between 4 and 5 am. Anyone have any clue? Does this sound like anything you guys/gals can recognize?

5 Replies:

First off... get to a dr and get it checked out as upper right abdominal pain in the are you describe can have some pretty serious causes sometimes... go to a GI dr to rule out ulcers, pancreatitis, liver diseases.Also if you drink alcohol... stop drinking. And be careful about medicines and any supplements/herbs.... some are ******n the liver. Tylenol causes liver damage for instance.:eek: We need to know if there are any other symptoms going on besides the upper right abdominal pain.... Questions to start off with (any other questions folks please join in and ask....);) ---------------- Your age (you are male so I don't need to ask that) Medicines taken (including otc drugs like tylenol)? Supplements? Herbs? Vitamins etc? Are you taking any anti inflammatory medicines? Street drugs? Diet drugs? How is your weight? stable, underweight, overweight, very obese, etc. on a diet (if so, what sort of diet). Any food allergies or intolerances? Medicine allergies? Any changes in bowel movements or appearance of stools? Any recent illnesses? Like flu? Stomach illnesses? Any fevers? Have you ever had mono? Have you traveled anywhere before the pain began? Any things seem to trigger these pain episodes? Any body in your family ever have a similar problem with upper right quad pain in abdomen? Do you have any skin problems or changes? Nail problems? Does pain seem to be associated with meals? Increase on empty stomach, full stomach, immediately after meals, a period of time after eating before pain starts etc) Do the whites of your eyes ever appear yellow? well these questions are just a start... answer them and perhaps that can help us find some possibile things to look at. I will suggest though to go get checked out for that pain... ulcers/gastritis, pancreatic, liver problems and other serious illnesses can cause such pain.... best to get checked out by a GI doctor. Make an appointment with a dr right away... and take care of yourself. Some problems can get very bad when you delay seeking medical care.:eek: Help...at my wit's end here... For over 10 years...more like 12 or 13 years, I have had this strange pain under the ribs on the right side. It is VERY localized, and as many times as I've experienced this it is always in the exact same location. When I first started with this, it only hit me in the middle of the night. I'd wake up in intense pain which would slowly grow stronger, level off, then subside slowly. It would last a total of anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the pain...I'd have it once a month, then once in six months, then three times a week. But I have never gone more than 6 months over the last few years without an attack. After a few years, it started hitting me during the day. The weird thing...and please don't think I'm some nut job...is that I could tell when it was about to hit because the molar in my upper jaw next to the back on the right side would start to hurt. When that happened, I knew that within 5-10 minutes I'd be doubled over in pain. Again, I didn't seem to have a particular trigger...no particular food seemed to bring it on, as I started keeping track. I never had any other symptom...no nausea, diarrhea, fever...just intense pain. After getting married, my wife never understood what I was going through until it hit me one night at home while watching TV. I moaned and grimiced with pain and she said it looked as though I was giving birth. She then understood the intensity of my pain. Over the years, the duration of the pain has become somewhat shorter. Now, it only lasts 5-10 minutes, but now I can have back to back episodes...sometimes 3 or 4 attacks in one 2 hour period. And my tooth doesn't hurt to give me warning anymore either. (I know...that's just weird). I've seen doctor after doctor. I've had an ultrasound of my gall bladder and all was well with it. No one has effectively diagnosed me. However, one doctor said it was migraine in my chest cavity, which is supposedly possible. I've been taking migraine meds at the onset of my attacks, but since they now last only a few minutes, the pain subsides before the meds can get into my system. I don't think a migraine of any sort would last only 5 to 10 minutes anyway. So, there's my story. I just had another strong episode last night, having 3 or 4 attacks back to back between 4 and 5 am. Anyone have any clue? Does this sound like anything you guys/gals can recognize?

Its odd the way it wakes you up at night. It is worrisome that is suddenly increasing in frequency also. I missed the part about no nause and no fevers. When was the last time you saw drs? Also any urine changes? What color and other appearances is your urine?Does it ever look dark, brown, red, purple etc? Help...at my wit's end here... For over 10 years...more like 12 or 13 years, I have had this strange pain under the ribs on the right side. It is VERY localized, and as many times as I've experienced this it is always in the exact same location. When I first started with this, it only hit me in the middle of the night. I'd wake up in intense pain which would slowly grow stronger, level off, then subside slowly. It would last a total of anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the pain...I'd have it once a month, then once in six months, then three times a week. But I have never gone more than 6 months over the last few years without an attack. After a few years, it started hitting me during the day. The weird thing...and please don't think I'm some nut job...is that I could tell when it was about to hit because the molar in my upper jaw next to the back on the right side would start to hurt. When that happened, I knew that within 5-10 minutes I'd be doubled over in pain. Again, I didn't seem to have a particular trigger...no particular food seemed to bring it on, as I started keeping track. I never had any other symptom...no nausea, diarrhea, fever...just intense pain. After getting married, my wife never understood what I was going through until it hit me one night at home while watching TV. I moaned and grimiced with pain and she said it looked as though I was giving birth. She then understood the intensity of my pain. Over the years, the duration of the pain has become somewhat shorter. Now, it only lasts 5-10 minutes, but now I can have back to back episodes...sometimes 3 or 4 attacks in one 2 hour period. And my tooth doesn't hurt to give me warning anymore either. (I know...that's just weird). I've seen doctor after doctor. I've had an ultrasound of my gall bladder and all was well with it. No one has effectively diagnosed me. However, one doctor said it was migraine in my chest cavity, which is supposedly possible. I've been taking migraine meds at the onset of my attacks, but since they now last only a few minutes, the pain subsides before the meds can get into my system. I don't think a migraine of any sort would last only 5 to 10 minutes anyway. So, there's my story. I just had another strong episode last night, having 3 or 4 attacks back to back between 4 and 5 am. Anyone have any clue? Does this sound like anything you guys/gals can recognize?

First off... get to a dr and get it checked out as upper right abdominal pain in the are you describe can have some pretty serious causes sometimes... go to a GI dr to rule out ulcers, pancreatitis, liver diseases.I plan on doing that soon.Also if you drink alcohol... stop drinking. And be careful about medicines and any supplements/herbs.... some are ******n the liver. Tylenol causes liver damage for instance.:eek:The only thing I drink is 3-4 beers while I bowl in my bowling league once a week. We need to know if there are any other symptoms going on besides the upper right abdominal pain.... Questions to start off with (any other questions folks please join in and ask....);) You probably aren't going to get much more out of me... Your age (you are male so I don't need to ask that) 44 Medicines taken (including otc drugs like tylenol)? Supplements? Herbs? Vitamins etc? Are you taking any anti inflammatory medicines? Street drugs? Diet drugs?No drugs...maybe some ibuprofen very seldomly as needed for inflamation in my shoulder (had surgery last April) How is your weight? stable, underweight, overweight, very obese, etc. on a diet (if so, what sort of diet). 6'0" tall and weigh 184 lbs. Weight has been stable for years. Could stand to lose 5-10 lbs, but still, a healthy weight for my height. Any food allergies or intolerances? Medicine allergies?No. Any changes in bowel movements or appearance of stools?No. Any recent illnesses? Like flu? Stomach illnesses?No. but "recent" shouldn't have much to do with it, considering this has been ongoing for over a decade...should it? Any fevers? Have you ever had mono?As I said in my post, no fever...and no mono either. Have you traveled anywhere before the pain began?Nope...home boy here. Any things seem to trigger these pain episodes?Explained in my first post...no. Any body in your family ever have a similar problem with upper right quad pain in abdomen?no. Do you have any skin problems or changes? Nail problems?no. Does pain seem to be associated with meals? Increase on empty stomach, full stomach, immediately after meals, a period of time after eating before pain starts etc)No, it can and has happened at all hours of the day and doesn't seem to make much difference as to the timing after a meal, the kind of meal, or the fullness of my stomach. Do the whites of your eyes ever appear yellow?no. Some problems can get very bad when you delay seeking medical care.:eek: Delay? Heck, I've been dealing with this for 12 or 13 years...I think it's safe to say that I've "delayed" plenty! Although I have been to doctors without much success...;)

Hi,I had the same problem about 4 years ago. They kept telling me it was constipation. I would go to the er with horrilbe upper right pain. Sometime the attacks would last 10 min and sometimes hours. They looked at my gall bladder and said the same thing but finally i went in with the worst yet pain in my upper right chest and horrible right shoulder pain. They took me in for and removed my gall bladder. When it was out they said there was no signs of gall stones or any signs of trouble, However the pain stopped. It has not come back since but i now have fluctuating liver enzymes that i did not have prior to the removal.

3-4 beers while you bowl is too much now for your liver.... the liver has to work hard to process alcohol. It is toxic for the liver and also can lead to ulcers and gastritis, some other problems that could be a cause of your pain. Also your pancreas isn't helped by such a binge. Ibuprofen is an NSAID.... can cause ulcers and gastritis.... stop it also if possible and never take it on an empty stomach. Ibuprofen is ******n the kidneys. It sounds like you need another consult with a GS dr... glad to hear you plan to do so. Go to a different one for a second opinion of your ongoing discomfort to get liver, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, gall bladder and suich checked out again. JMO I plan on doing that soon. The only thing I drink is 3-4 beers while I bowl in my bowling league once a week. You probably aren't going to get much more out of me... 44 No drugs...maybe some ibuprofen very seldomly as needed for inflamation in my shoulder (had surgery last April)